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| Casuarina tree |
I saw a tree cut down in my village. I looked at the stump, and saw over 200 concentric rings. This got me thinking . . . . and reminded me of a poem "Our Casuarina Tree" by an Anglo-Indian writer Toru Dutt. Like this poem, the image of the unseen Casuarina Tree also lingers in my memory. Dutt made a successful attempt to personify the tree in such a manner that I felt it to be human. Alas! Not all people in this world believe that trees are alive.
I see a personification in this incident too. So what is a BIG deal about a tree being cut? Many trees are falling every minute, but an old tree personifies many other old things which have been among us for generations. An old tree is like an old custom which we have followed for ages, becoming obsolete today. An old tree signifies an old saying which we abide by always, but until yesterday. An old tree represents an old social value which the society has cherished from time immemorial, however, not any longer.
I see a personification in this incident too. So what is a BIG deal about a tree being cut? Many trees are falling every minute, but an old tree personifies many other old things which have been among us for generations. An old tree is like an old custom which we have followed for ages, becoming obsolete today. An old tree signifies an old saying which we abide by always, but until yesterday. An old tree represents an old social value which the society has cherished from time immemorial, however, not any longer.
